Tour Operators The Travelling Naturalist and Bird Treks Report Guyana Trips Were Excellent

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA – “Excellent” and “Unbelievable” are how two international birdwatching tour leaders summed up their recent trips to Guyana. Tim Earl, a Principal Leader for the UK-based tour operator The Travelling Naturalist, and Bob Schutsky of US-based Bird Treks both reported that their clients were very pleased with their November birdwatching trips to Guyana. Both leaders first visited Guyana on a tourism product familiarization trip sponsored by the Guyana Sustainable Tourism Initiative (GSTI) – a joint project of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) and the United States Agency for International Development/Guyana Trade and Investment Support (USAID/GTIS) project. Earl came in 2006 and Schutsky in 2007. This was Bird Trek’s first tour to Guyana and Schutsky said his seven American clients went home thrilled with what they experienced. “The people on this tour were very well-traveled around the globe and had been to most of the more popular birdwatching destinations,”... Read More →

Hurtigruten Gives New Meaning to The Term ‘Polar Bear Club’ — Offering Polar Water Dips at Both Poles for All Interested Guests

New York, NY – You don’t have to be a member of a polar bear club – those hardy groups of cold water plungers – to take advantage of Hurtigruten’s offers to enjoy a dip in the world’s coldest waters, whether in Antarctica, the Arctic’s Spitsbergen, Greenland, or Norway’s Vardø on the Barents Sea. “As far as sea conditions allow, our expedition team will ensure that the bravest of our guests are able to satisfy their thirst for adventure in the water,” states Hurtigruten product coordinator Jørn Henriksen. Ideal for those travelers who prefer to bring home more than t-shirts and tans, the dip in the polar waters is something that truly stands out when it comes to bragging – and the Polar Dip Certificate awarded to each participant provides needed verification. During Antarctica’s summer months, guests aboard Hurtigruten’s deluxe expedition ship, MV Fram, can enjoy the remarkably refreshing icy waters of one of the... Read More →

Mattheissen’s The Snow Leopard Trek

“A journey into the remote Upper Dolpo region of Nepal and the Crystal Monastery of Shey” “Twelve years before, on a visit to Nepal, I had seen those astonishing snow peaks to the north; to close that distance, to go step by step across the greatest range on earth to somewhere called the Crystal Mountain, was a true pilgrimage, a journey of the heart.”–– Peter Matthiessen’s The Snow Leopard, 1979 Aspen, CO –Thirty years ago, acclaimed nature writer Peter Matthiessen wrote The Snow Leopard, one of the most acclaimed nature travel books ever written. One World Trekking, the adventure travel company with over 20 years experience trekking through the Himalaya, is thrilled to announce a commercial journey that follows the footsteps of Matthiessen and zoologist George Schaller in their peaceful, spiritual search for the elusive snow leopard of the Himalaya. On September 7 through October 5, 2010, fans and followers of Matthiessen and his snow leopard odyssey will embark on a... Read More →

8 Savvy Safety Tips for Less Stressful Holiday Travel

 Read More →

Baja Whale Sampler – Kayaking Loreto Bay and Gray Whale Watching Combo Tour

Why this trip: Itinerary combines both coasts of Baja California, guaranteed gray whale sightings, snorkeling and kayaking in two of Mexico’s newest national parks – novices welcome; best value. LORETO, BAJA CALIFORNIA — USA-based Sea Kayak Adventures, Inc. is offering an exciting trip package where participants can be eyeball-to-eyeball with a gray whale in Baja’s federally protected calving lagoons and paddle a kayak alongside dolphins and fin and blue whales in the clear waters of the Sea of Cortez. Their eight-day “Baja Sea Kayaking and Whale Watching Combo” itinerary, including travel days and hotel in Loreto, offers opportunities to get close to friendly whales, explore uninhabited desert islands by stable sea kayak and snorkel along isolated coves in clear turquoise waters – in essence to see the best of Baja, fully led by naturalist guides. Clients fly from Los Angeles to Loreto one hour jet flight. From there they cross the Baja California peninsula to... Read More →

Adding CSR Value to Travel Discounts: Natural Habitat Adventures joins operators worldwide with ‘Eco-Pricing” initiative

Boulder, Colorado – In response to concerns from its operators and suppliers in remote destinations about the impact of diminishing ecotourism dollars during a tough economy, Natural Habitat Adventures worked with the small businesses to create a collaborative discount pricing strategy that encourages guest travel while supporting conservation measures. Branded as “Eco-Pricing,” the consumer discounts communicate the conservation impact of travel – central to the eco tour provider’s sustainable travel message – using the example of Natural Habitat Adventures “Great African Primate Expedition,” where tour dollars help protect Uganda’s mountain gorillas. “We’re always looking for that next idea that will support our sustainable travel message,” says Natural Habitat Adventures founder and director Ben Bressler, whose company was first in the U.S. to go carbon neutral with all trips and office operations several years ago. “It suddenly hit us that in challenging... Read More →

Discounts of a decade for All Star Adventures 2010 trips.

All Star Adventures is offering holiday specials on surf tours, mountain bike trips, ski and snowboard camps, and skate camps. Wonderful life experiences at amazing prices when purchased before the end of this year. All-Star customers can enjoy discounts on trips to Costa Rica, New Zealand, Argentina, and the United States. All-Star invites travelers to ring in a new year and kickoff another decade of action sports adventures. Since 1999 All Star Adventures has been the premier provider of instructional adventure travel. Make gift giving easy this holiday season; simply register online now and call or email to ask for your discount. Treat the ones you love and yourself to one of All Star Adventures’ Colorado Skate Camps, New Zealand Ski and Snowboard Camps, Powder Storming New Zealand tours, Argentina Ski and Snowboard Camps, Southern Utah Mountain Biking tours, Nevada Skateboarding Adventures or Costa Rica Surf Explorer trips. Save hundreds on Spring Break and Summer vacation... Read More →

Computer Animation Not Just for Video Games—AIA Awards New Grant to Help Save Cultural Heritag

Project Will Use Technology to Recreate a Five-Thousand-Year-Old Chalcolithic Roundhouse in Cyprus BOSTON — The Kissonerga archaeological sites in Cyprus will benefit from a Site Preservation Grant from the Archaeological Institute of America. The grant will finance the use of 3-D and computer animation technologies to complement the reconstruction of a five-thousand-year-old Chalcolithic roundhouse. AIA funds will support the filming of the physical reconstruction of the building and the creation of color 3-D computer imagery of the artifacts found in the house to give visitors a vibrant sense of the use of the building. The reconstruction is part of a larger project led by Dr. Lindy Crewe of the University of Manchester to illuminate human experience in a single locality through time by investigating the nearly continuous occupation of Kissonerga Village from 10,000 years ago to the present. AIA President, Dr. C. Brian Rose, says, “This project is very exciting because it not... Read More →